Newsletters

June Bhongjan

June is a freelance filmmaker with a passion for home interiors. This Los Angeles native, now Portland transplant, enjoys building tipis in the woods.
    How to Build a Custom Tiled Shower Pan
    As a home owner, building a custom shower pan can increase the value of your home. It offers a unique look and seamlessly integrates the shower base to your bathroom floor. If you’re a DIY renovator, this tutorial will help you understand the scope of work involved. The main objective is to create a completely waterproof sloped floor, with a drain, raised edge frame, and pretty mosaic tiles to cover it all up. Related Video: Working on your bathroom?
    June Bhongjan
    May 25, 2023
    DIY Home Decor: How To Make A Simple Wabi Sabi Jar
    I love the Japanese aesthetic and concept of Wabi-sabi. Architect Tadao Ando describes Wabi-sabi as “underplayed and modest, the kind of quiet, undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered.” Lately I’ve fallen in love with the slight imperfections of handmade ceramics. So, embrace the slight dent or crooked lip—these flaws are innocent marks that represent the hand of the maker. With this in mind, why don’t you try creating a handmade jar?
    June Bhongjan
    Mar 9, 2019
    DIY Home Decor: How To Make a Modern Beaded Wood Trivet
    This simple DIY trivet is perfect for tea-brewing winter months and a great gift for design lovers. Not only does it embody two of my current obsessions— geometric shapes and color-blocking against unfinished wood—but it also is super practical and can be separated into three individual trivets. Here’s how to make your very own: 1″ Wood beads (I used 39pcs) Cording Paint Tools Paintbrush Palette ScissorsPaperclip or large needle (optional) 1.
    June Bhongjan
    Feb 24, 2019
    Decorating With Fresh Cut Greens
    Why do flowers get all the credit? These bright, beautiful leaves deserve their own vase and pedestal, too. For those of you who want to add some greenery to a room without needing a green thumb, here are some great ways to display some fresh cut greens. 1. An olive branch paired with a vintage bottle (like this arrangement from Natalie Bowen Designs) is timeless, classic and perfect for just about any interior. 2. We’re still loving the use of beakers and test tubes as vases.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 30, 2014
    Renovation Project Secret: How To Lay A Perfect Bead of Caulk Quickly & Neatly, Every Time
    While in the process of diy-ing a bathroom renovation, I discovered a key process “secret” worth learning. Laying the perfect bead of caulk might not sound very exciting, but is an essential process to know for any home owner. My first attempt to lay caulk wasn’t so bad. I was trying to seal an apron sink we just put in the kitchen. My caulk work turned out nicely, but, boy, was it tedious, not to mention super messy!
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 16, 2014
    How To Repair and Prep Cracked and Crumbling Walls for Painting
    Repairing small cracks and holes in your walls is an essential home improvement skill. It’s quick and easy to do on your own, once you know how. We’ve gathered together a few good tips and photos to show you how its done; check it out, gather your supplies and give it a try…you can do it! Light weight spackle or non-shrink joint compoundPutty knifeFine grit sanding block 1. Sand around the crack or use a putty knife to remove any loose paint or drywall. 2.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 15, 2014
    DIY Renovation Project: How To Build a Recessed Shower Shelf
    When remodeling a bathroom, consider adding a recessed shower shelf into your design. It’s a practical and streamlined way to add storage space for shampoos and soaps, without taking away elbow room. Built-in shower niches are also a great alternative to gunky corner shelves and rusty shower caddies. For all of you DIY renovators, read on to learn how to build a shower shelf of your own.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 11, 2014
    What’s the Best Tile Layout For My Bathroom?: Straight or Staggered?
    For my bathroom renovation, I finally decided on large slate tiles for the bathroom floor. I found exactly what I was looking for at Lowe’s and didn’t have to go to a tile specialty store. Although not natural slate, these Galvano Charcoal porcelain tiles give the impression of real stone and are only $2.50 a square foot. Now, how to lay them? Does the staggered brick layout look best or would laying them in a grid make the space feel larger?
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 11, 2014
    Before & After: MCM Chair Gets an Upholstery Redo
    This old vinyl MCM style chair was asking to be rescued. Vinyl cushions paired with good bones and clean lines — need I say more? For 20 bucks it was mine, and I set off on my first attempt to reupholster a worthy chair. For my first re-upholstery job, I’m happy with the results. The structure of the chair was very sturdy, and the condition of padding was fair. I carefully un-stitched the vinyl and saved it to use as a pattern. The frame had to be sanded and re-stained.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 11, 2014
    DIY Renovation Project Guidelines: Should I Use Grout or Caulk?
    I learned a lot by working on my first bathroom remodel. One of biggest was where and when to use grout versus caulk. Grouting and caulking, although very similar, serve different purposes and shouldn’t be substituted for one another. Follow these guidelines and get it right every time.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 10, 2014
    DIY Project: How To Grout Tile
    Applying grout is always exciting. It’s the final touch to all of your hard tiling work, and much less tedious and time consuming. (If you missed it, see my earlier tutorial on how to tile your shower.) Yet, there are still some steps to ensure the longevity of your grout lines and the lifespan of your tiles.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 10, 2014
    DIY Home Renovation: How To Tile Your Bathroom Shower
    Unlike painting, tiling isn’t as quick and easy as it looks. Tiling is for those who enjoy tedious, repetitive perfectionism. And I can’t say that I do, but in the end, the three days that turned into three weeks (seriously) was all worth it. Clean white subway tile transforms spaces — all in such a timeless way. So, before you start mixing the thin-set, check out the lessons I learned about how to tile your bathroom.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 9, 2014
    Isaac and Florence’s Eclectic Zen-Inspired Apartment
    Name: Isaac Larose and Florence Provencher Proulx Location: Le Plateau; Montreal, Canada Years lived in: 9 months; Rented If everything you wore looked just like your home, I’d be wearing a kilim rug and antlers on my head — doesn’t sound so cool, right? It’s rare to find a home designed in such an authentic manner that becomes a true reflection of the resident’s personal style, but Isaac and Florence’s home is the exception.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 4, 2014
    Mikola and Randall’s Modern and Airy Small Space
    Name: Mikola Accuardi, photographer and blogger at Portland Supply Co., Randall Garcia, designer at Wieden + Kennedy, and baby Valentino Location: Southeast Clinton; Portland, Oregon Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, 5 months ; Rented Mikola and Randall’s apartment is one of those spaces I swooned over, but never actually get to visit, until today.
    June Bhongjan
    Apr 3, 2014
    How To Strip and Refinish Wood Furniture
    You’d never know it, but this Mid-Century Modern credenza was once disguised in flat white paint. For twenty bucks, it was really hard to resist buying it and testing my skills at striping off paint. Learn how after the jump… 2 quarts paint stripper Mineral spirit Miniwax Wood Finish Stain (I used English Chestnut) Rags Rubber gloves Goggles Mouse Sander 150 grit mouse sander refill Paint brush Plastic putty knife Toothpick Screw driver Respirator 1.
    June Bhongjan
    Mar 25, 2014
    Jared Johnson of Holiday Custom Motorcycles
    Name: Jared Johnson Location: Eliot; Portland, Oregon Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Carefully crafted and thoughtfully designed, Holiday Customs’ distinct aesthetic is the perfect marriage of sleek modern shapes and raw vintage character — all packaged into a ridable work of art. Jared Johnson is the one-man band behind Holiday Custom Motorcycles. After outgrowing his small garage, Jared found a 1800 square foot warehouse in Northeast Portland.
    June Bhongjan
    Mar 19, 2014
    A New Look for an Old Windsor Chair
    These $5 Windsor chairs are just about in every thrift store I stop into. This one had a nice simple silhouette and narrow tapered spindles. I’ve been swooning over modern shaker style furniture for some time now and it was finally time to stop wanting and start doing. I was planning on spray painting the whole chair neon yellow, but as I started, I notice the beautiful gradient and continued to paint only the front half of the seat.
    June Bhongjan
    Mar 12, 2014
    How To Make an IKEA Hack “Fauxdenza”
    I had a growing pile of paper work on my desk, and shoe boxes full of more paper work on the floor. I needed a quick and affordable closed storage system that hid all the clutter, but still fit in our small office. If this sounds familiar, perhaps this IKEA FULLEN “fauxdenza” hack is for you. We’ve blogged about the “fauxdenza” phenomenon before.
    June Bhongjan
    Mar 11, 2014
    Eva & Jason’s Charming Portland Bungalow
    Name: Eva & Jason Hume Location: Mt. Tabor; Portland, Oregon Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned It’s been four years since Eva, Jason and their French bulldog Santo settled into this perfect little nest in the heart of southeast Portland, Oregon. The neighborhood is made up of an array of eateries, jam-packed coffeehouses, vegan bars, offbeat clothing stores, and vintage oddity shops.
    June Bhongjan
    Mar 8, 2014
    Before & After: From Boring Office Desk to Industrial Chic Changing Table
    When Maude Lefrancois found out she was pregnant, she decided to change her home office into the nursery — and her desk was the perfect height for a changing table. With a few nuts and bolts, a shelf, and vintage wood crates, she turned her sterile office desk into a warmer industrial changing station with more than enough storage. Maude drilled holes into the metal frame and attached four angled brackets with nuts and bolts.
    June Bhongjan
    Feb 5, 2014
    Tim and Hannah’s Affordable DIY Self-Sustainable Micro Cabin
    Name: Tim Eddy and Hannah Fuller Location: Tahoe, California Size: 196 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Hannah grew up in a home her parents built (her father is a boat builder), so it was only natural for her to follow in their footsteps. Tim, on the other hand, has never built anything but fires.
    June Bhongjan
    Feb 3, 2014
    Esthera and Gus’s Cozy Abode Above a Garage
    Name: Esthera & Gus Preda-Engle, along with cat Lotlita Location: Fossambault-sur-le-Lac; Quebec, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Esthera, a videographer at Boat People Vintage, and Gus, a professional snowboarder, are quite the talented couple. Esthera and Gus’s home truly embodies their style and heritage: Esthera is a first generation Romanian-French-Canadian, and Gus is half Native American.
    June Bhongjan
    Feb 1, 2014
    How To Make a Shou Sugi Ban Wall
    The reclaimed wood wall has been popular for a while now, and I’ve been wanting to get the look in my garage. I love the earthy hues and honest feel of reclaimed wood, but after realizing the time it would take to scour Craigslist and salvage yards for enough material, I decided to forego that nightmare and instead pursue a DIY approach using a wood-charring method called Shou Sugi Ban.
    June Bhongjan
    Jan 14, 2014
    How To Make a Rooftop Cutting Board
    Inspired by Danish rooftops, Ferm Living has turned useful kitchen accessories into design-worthy décor. After coveting these, along with Susanna Vento’s self-made cutting boards, I decided it was absolutely necessary that I made one of my own. Here’s how to make your own rooftop cutting board… Upon research I found that maple and ash hardwood has a nice tight grain — suitable for daily use.
    June Bhongjan
    Jan 9, 2014